US household drinking water bills rose 62% between 2015 and 2025, a Food & Water Watch analysis of 2025 billing data from the 500 largest community water systems found. The 500 systems serve about 155 million people, or 45% of the U.S. population; the study compared 2025 rates with a similar 2015 survey and excluded wastewater and stormwater charges. The typical household using 60,000 gallons paid $531 in 2025, while annual bills ranged from $133 at the cheapest system to $1,416 at the most expensive. Water costs rose 1.6 times faster than overall inflation (62% versus 39%) and grew faster than groceries (30%) and eggs (28%); water bills increased 19% more than the national median household income between 2014 and 2024. For-profit utilities charged an average household $823 a year versus $494 for publicly owned systems, a $329 gap; corporate systems made up 11% of the sample but 44% of the 25 most expensive systems, and 70% of the top 10 were corporate-owned. Increases were especially severe in New Hampshire (177%), Oregon (114%) and West Virginia (95%); bills exceeded the study’s affordability threshold for the poorest fifth in 93% of systems, with low-income households in West Virginia spending about 11% of income and in Puerto Rico about 20%. Mary Grant, Food & Water Watch’s water program director, said corporate water abuses, federal disinvestment and climate change are "supercharging water rate hikes" and called for federal action to prevent further unaffordability.
